One of the things I like about being employed is the yearly company outing outside of Metro Manila. I’ve heard of other companies holding theirs in Boracay and I’ve personally seen one in Coron, Palawan (I know right?!), but anywhere away from this grimy city is fine with me – even if said place is the walang-kasawaan-walang-kamatayang dun dun duuun…Tagaytay.

Because, really, who can say no to an all-expense-paid overnight trip that promises clean, wholesome fun *wink wink* with fellow overworked employees? And I don’t mean “sex on top of the table while everyone’s watching” kind of fun (you horny, little wench!) but more like “literally kick each other’s asses and smother one another’s faces with armpit sweat” kind of fun. Ewww, gross. But what can I say, I’m competitive like that.

Pina Colina Resort

So! The location of choice was Piña Colina Resort. I must say that I was impressed with the pictures on their website. What's more impressive are the prices. Very, very affordable! And it also has very good reviews on TripAdvisor - well, as good as how far your trust in this site goes :p

Location

If you like being at the heart of Tagaytay, i.e. near commercial establishments with a majestic view of Taal Lake, then Piña Colina is NOT the place for you. So maybe their location is one of the reasons why they have competitive prices, no? Our company availed of their BGC-Piña Colina-BGC transfers to avoid confusion for directionally challenged human beings. They have nice Toyota Grandia vans and their drivers were careful so we didn't encounter any problems going there. You may check out their corporate page if you’d like to inquire for you company’s activities.

First Impression

Anything that remotely resembles a pine tree will amaze me so needless to say, I was delighted when I saw the Chistmasy-looking trees lining the resort’s garden. Picture picture agad. Sorry ha, walang ganun sa probinsya namin ;) However, I noticed that Piña Colina’s lawn isn't perfectly manicured and the landscaping is somewhat lacking – the OC in me saw some bald patches somewhere! Nevertheless, the place still looks charming.

Rooms

The log cabin was my accommodation of choice but since it’s not my money we’re spending here, I didn't have a say as to where we're staying. Getting the Premiere Studio didn't turn out to be that bad. The 30-sqm A/C unit has 4 single beds, bath w/ hot & cold shower, LED TV w/ cable, personal fridge, electric kettle, table & chairs.

Our company rented the whole block of studio rooms and assigned 3 people per room. Gulong kami sa luwag! The room, though, was far from the fancy villas or quaint B&Bs that I usually think of when I hear the word ‘Tagaytay.’ It’s very basic but clean. Decent enough for a good night's sleep.

The only thing I didn't like about it was the weak water pressure in the bathroom. It was dang hard to take a shower! Imagine rinsing your shampooed hair with light rain. Ambon levels lang talaga. It was probably because everyone was taking a bath all at the same time but still!

Function Hall

And then there was the function hall. ZOMG. It felt so stuffy inside. Maybe it was because of the low ceiling. Or the dark table covers. Or the gloomy curtains that adorned the windows. Uhm, hello? The 1800s called. They want their draperies back. The function hall really did look like it needed some makeover to keep up with the times.

Oh, they have a karaoke for rent.

top photo from Pina Colina's website

Grounds

If you're organizing a company team building ala Amazing Race, then you should look further. Pina Colina's open grounds are only about 300 to 400 sqm, just enough for a group of 60-70 people doing minor physical activities. No hardcore takbuhan and taguan. They have an obstacle course but we weren't able to utilize it, unfortunately.

Food

The food was a MAJOR letdown. Syempre since we were all dripping with sweat and tired from all the shouting and groping, este, ball throwing, you’d expect everybody to eat like mad pigs. But NOOOO. The stuff they prepared for us was barely edible. Masebo. Pangit ng presentasyon. Kulang sa lasa. :|

Dahil diyan, nag-picture na lang kami :)

Other Amenities

They have a pool under the cafeteria (which totally weirded me out) and an elevated jacuzzi but nobody tried either of the two. Maybe because after a hard day's work, we'd rather spend our evening relaxing, singing, and chatting over bottles of beer and loads of junk food.

So! Overall, Piña Colina was okay. The rooms were clean and livable, and our small group was able to work out the activities on the open grounds. They should, however, improve on the function hall and the food.

Do I recommend it? Well, if you're a small group and working with a tight budget, you may consider Piña Colina.

How about you, where do your companies hold your team building and summer outing?